The Legend of Zelda: Compression of Time
by X-ATM092
Summary: My first fic. I hope you like it. the is a story about what would happen if Final Fantasy VIII monsters would suddenly appear in Zelda. If you decide to read this, PLZ review!
1. Chapter one

!-- saved from url=(0022)http://internet.e-mail --**Author's note:**  
  
I don't own Zelda, Link, Final Fantasy VIII, Zell or any of the other characters/games mentioned in this fic.  
  
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... As seven-year-old link traveled across Lake Hylia in search of the golden scale, he stumbled over a large pointy object sticking out from the shoreline.  
  
"Ouch! Navi, what is it?" he asked while getting up.  
  
"How should I know that? I've never seen one of these in my life!"  
  
"Try it anyway!" was his slightly annoyed response.  
  
"Let's see... I'm trying really hard, you know that? Hang on, I've got it! "  
  
"So... What IS that thing?  
  
"That," she said, looking at the fin-like thing, sticking out from the ground, "is a 'Fastitocalon-fin'. Better be careful."  
  
"Why?" he asked, as he started poking at it with his sword.  
  
"Link, don't!"  
  
Navi tried to pull the green-clothed boy away from the fin, just as the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. Sand and dirt shattered as the fish-like monster burst out of its underground shelter, red eyes focusing on Link, obviously not very happy about being disturbed.  
  
"Ah, I see now... Let's take that thing down!" Link shouted when he got back onto his feet, after which he readied his sword once more and began to slash at his foe.  
  
"Link, you'll only make it more angry," Navi tried to warn him  
  
"Not if I kill it first! Navi, lock on to it!"  
  
Navi sighed. "Okay, whatever you say... But don't say I didn't warn you!"  
  
Link sheathed his sword to grab his boomerang. "Take THIS!"  
  
Navi ducked out of the way, waiting for the boomerang to pass. It hit the enemy, then Link caught it again, waiting for the accursed fish to die, but he waited in vain. Instead, it just looked angrier.  
  
"What IS this thing?" Link shouted.  
  
"I told you so! It's better to retreat for now, Link," Navi tried to calm him.  
  
"No way, not until I beat this thing!"  
  
"Well, if you want to do that, I suggest you try more powerful weapons."  
  
The seemingly unbeatable fish was now well on its way to attack Link. He dodged the razor sharp teeth, barely avoided the edge of its fin, before launching a powerful slash with his sword. It bounced straight off the fish.  
  
"Good idea!"  
  
Link took out his last Deku Nut, and tossed it at the fish-foe, which was then blinded, so Link had just enough time to take his ocarina and play the 'Prelude of Light'. After arriving in the Temple of Time, Link pulled the Master Sword out of its pedestal. Seven years later, the now fourteen-year- old Link stood up from the pedestal of Time. Master Sword ready, he looked up in the Direction of Lake Hylia.  
  
"Let's KILL that stupid little fish!"  
  
"Link, I think that enemy isn't from anywhere near here." Navi explained "Remember I couldn't even sense it the first time? And I know all the creatures that exist in Hyrule! This just doesn't feel right, Link."  
  
"Who would know where it came from?" Link pondered. He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Aha! I know! Why didn't I think of this sooner?"  
  
"Who, Link? C'mon, I wanna know!"  
  
"Just wait and see..."  
  
Link took his ocarina and played the tune he had heard so often when still living in Kokiri Village. Green leaves circled around him as he played...  
  
"Hey, Saria, can you hear me?" he asked.  
  
"Hey Link, how nice of you to call me! It's been so long..."  
  
"Yeah... It's nice to hear your voice too."  
  
"What can I do for you?"  
  
"I've been fighting with a monster, and none of my weapons seemed to even scratch it! Do you know what it is? Or where it came from?"  
  
"It could be that Ganandorf is up to something again, producing a new breed of monsters."  
  
"I don't think so... I would have at least been able to hurt it if that was the case."  
  
"It could also be..."  
  
"Yes?..."  
  
"I'll have to discuss this with the other Sages. Would you please just stay where you are? We'll contact you as soon as we have an answer."  
  
So they waited.  
  
"Even if they find out what happened, and what it is, I don't think we'd be able to handle it alone," Navi said.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"We threw all we had at it, and it didn't even get a scratch!"  
  
"Yeah... I think you're right."  
  
"I'm always right! Right?"  
  
"Whatever you say, Navi. But we can't go and get Sheik, Saria told us to stay here!"  
  
"No, she told YOU to stay here! I can get Sheik!"  
  
"I guess you're right"  
  
"I told you, I'm always right! So let me get him."  
  
"Go ahead.... I'll wait here."  
  
"Back in a sec."  
  
So, Navi left, leaving Link behind with nothing to do. So he decided to go through his backpack to find if he had anything that he could use against that strange fish. Suddenly, Link's ocarina made a strange but familiar noise, the sound of a thousand small bells chiming at once.  
  
"I guess that means Saria and the other Sages have come to a conclusion."  
  
He played 'Saria's Song'.  
  
Link heard Saria's voice "Hello again, Link."  
  
"So, did you find out what it is?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"So, what is it?"  
  
"That's kind of heard to explain."  
  
"Try me!"  
  
"It's a creature from another universe..."  
  
"Navi did say it didn't feel right."  
  
"Please don't interrupt me! It's hard enough as it is."  
  
"Sorry. But how did it get here?"  
  
"You remember the story about the Triforce and the three goddesses, right?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, it turns out that there is another force that created them. It's called the Nintendo. The enemy of Nintendo has always been SquareSoft. Each used to have its own set of universes, but now that they have made peace once again, the boundary between them fades."  
  
"Not good!"  
  
"Now, the creatures from one universe can freely travel in any other. This one you have encountered is from one of Square's universes."  
  
"You kind of lost me there."  
  
"You always were a simple mind... Oh well. You don't really need to 'get' this one, Link. All you have to know is that you can't defeat enemies from other universes with weapons from our own."  
  
"So what are we going to do about that?"  
  
"I've arranged for someone from the monster's universe to be temporarily transferred here."  
  
At that point, Navi flew in.  
  
"Sheik's on his way! Did I miss anything?" she asked.  
  
"Not too much," Link answered. "Saria knows this guy from another universe who is going to help us beat that overly frustrating son-of-a-fish!"  
  
"So... When will he be arriving?" she asked.  
  
And at that moment, in a bright Deku-nut flash, a strange figure in short blue pants, a most unusual facial tattoo and spiked hair stood on the Pedestal of Time.  
  
Then Saria's voice sounded again.  
  
"This is Zell Dincht, he is the one I was talking about. He will help you rid our world of the monsters from his."  
  
"Okay, Saria, I think we can handle it from here."  
  
"Okay Link, we'll talk some more later."  
  
After that, the ocarina was quiet.  
  
Zell spoke: "Ookay, now where am I?"  
  
"Eehm... You're in Hyrule, where else would you be?" Navi stated.  
  
"Well, the last time I checked, I was in Balamb, then I heard a strange voice, telling me I was needed somewhere else. She told me you were having trouble fighting a fish."  
  
"Yeah, that sounds about right" Link agreed. "By the way, I'm Link, and this is Navi. Welcome to Hyrule..."  
  
"So, erm, could you fill us in, please? We still don't really know what's going on," Link asked Zell.  
  
"Neither do I, really, but I'll tell you what I know."  
  
Zell lowered himself to the stairs and stretched out. "The universe I'm from is controlled by a sorceress from the future, Ultimecia. She decided that it would be fun to play with space and time a little, but she screwed up big-time. In the end she not only compressed time, but also space and universes. That's what this Saria told me, anyway. She sure is well- informed, isn't she?"  
  
"Yeah, she is. She's a childhood friend of mine who got celestial status about three months ago. She took it really well."  
  
"I bet she did! Anyway, I brought over some equipment from my place to help you guys here."  
  
"Those are bound to be more useful against this enemy than my own weapons," Link commented.  
  
"This," Zell explained as he took out an unusual sort of curved blade, "is a Gunblade."  
  
"That looks like a nice piece of equipment. Looks strange, I wonder how someone would use this..." Navi stated.  
  
"Anyway, this Gunblade is for you, Link. You can use it to slash at your enemies like you always do, or pull this lever," Zell pointed at the trigger, "to shoot at them. The ammo is unlimited, so go wild!" After that, Zell picked up a large, heavy-looking sports bag from the Pedestal. "The rest of these are for that Sheik guy. I'll give it to him when I see him."  
  
  
  
After talking to Zell for a few more minutes, Link set out to kick some monster-ass, and in particular, that son-of-a-fish from seven years ago. After arriving on Hyrule Field, he noticed that the contamination had spread in the years of his absence.  
  
"Okay, let's give this baby a spin!"  
  
He walked up to the first monster, Gunblade ready. "Navi, what kind of monster is this one?" he asked, not letting the monster out of his sight.  
  
"This one's a Geezard. Zell said they're pretty harmless, but be careful anyway."  
  
"Sure I will, you know me!"  
  
"That's exactly my point!"  
  
"Come on, Navi, I've restocked my Deku Nuts. If it gets too dangerous, I can always use one of those to get away... But I'm going to attack now, all right?"  
  
"Sure, Link."  
  
As he announced, Link jumped to the attack. The Geezard barely had the time to respond before meeting face-to-face with the blade, after which it instantly began to shiver, and disappear.  
  
"That was easy!" Link said, with a big smile on his face. "If I keep this up, I'll be done in about ten minutes!"  
  
"I don't think so, Link." Navi replied. "Look out!"  
  
Link ducked just quickly enough to avoid being ripped in half by a strange looking saw-like foe.  
  
"What's this one called, Navi?" Link asked, before barely avoiding the monster's second strike.  
  
"It's a Belhelmel, Link. Just attack it, but be careful of the saw!"  
  
"I kind of figured that one out myself, Navi!"  
  
So Link attacked, this time also using the gun on the blade. The blade hit the monster full on, the bullet pierced its upper body, but the double- sided monster just looked angrier. Suddenly it began to speak: "BELHELMEL IS FURIOUS!"  
  
Link checked his Gunblade before slashing at the Belhelmel. The Gunblade swung from left to right, striking the Belhelmel several times. The foe looked weakened, but still very determined to take Link down a notch or two. Link decided:  
  
"This is ENOUGH!"  
  
Just as the Belhelmel came around for a second go at Link's head the young man ducked, focused his power on the blade, and released a roundabout spiral-slash. The last thing the Belhelmel saw before fading out was a magic-powered Gunblade swinging right through the center of its body.  
  
But when the Belhelmel disappeared, two more showed up, taking its place.  
  
"Oh, no!" Link stated "I don't think I can take down those ones too..."  
  
To make matters worse, three more Belhelmels showed up. Link was surrounded.  
  
"Link, I think it would be wise to prepare to be beaten."  
  
"Could you give me some more positive comment, please? Where there's a will, there's a way! Lock on to the nearest one!"  
  
Before Navi could do so, a Deku Nut flash lit the area. As Link opened his eyes, he noticed not one or two, but all five the Belhelmels had been cut in half, fading from existence. Sheik stood right in front of him, catching the projectile-like Blaster Edge with a mechanism attached to his right arm.  
  
"A gift from Zell," he said simply, in response to Links puzzled look. "It is time to withdraw, we are severely outnumbered. Let us go to your old house."  
  
  
  
So they made their way through the armies of monsters that were attracted by the sound of combat, only barely making it to the relative safety of the Lost Woods and Kokiri Forest.  
  
Link turned to Navi "Will you fly up to the Deku Tree Sprout and inform him of our situation?"  
  
Navi nodded by hovering up and down and flew away, to meet the Deku Tree Sprout.  
  
"We need to come up with a plan," Link stated, looking at Sheik.  
  
"Yes, we need to take the infestation down by the source. Once we eliminate the first of the creatures to appear here in this world, the portal should be closed and no more new monsters can appear."  
  
"The first monster to appear here was a Fastitocalon, by the shores of Lake Hylia, I stumbled over its fin seven years ago. Do you think it's still there?"  
  
"It's worth a shot."  
  
"Do you think we'll be able to handle it?"  
  
"Mr. Dincht gave me something special, just to eradicate the monster that started all of this. He said it belonged to one of his comrades, Sephy or something."  
  
"Ok, when Navi gets here, we go kick some Fish-ass!"  
  
  
  
Riding on Epona, Lake Hylia was soon reached. Where the small fin had once been, now was a gigantic one, towering over a meter above Link and Sheik.  
  
"It got bigger," Link noticed. "You think we stand a chance?"  
  
"Let's find out!"  
  
Link pulled his Gunblade and advanced on the enemy. After landing slash after slash, shot after shot on the fin, the ground began to shake. Link and Sheik cleared the area surrounding the fin. When the dust cleared, before them hovered a fish that could easily have passed for Lord Jabu Jabu in size and, from the looks of it, in appetite. It waited calmly for Link to make his move, but Link looked at his Gunblade, then at the oversized fish, then back to his Gunblade. He took a startled step backwards. When he saw, a few meters to his left, Sheik pulling something out of his backpack, he moved his attention to there.  
  
"Look out, Link" Sheik yelled, "I do not know how powerful this will be!"  
  
Sheik heaved the contraption onto his shoulder. On the side of it was written, in large yellow letters, 'To Vinzer Deling'. Sheik pushed a button, and one of the four holes in the front spit fire. An enormous projectile shot straight into the creature's beak. The Fastitocalon swallowed, and decided he liked it. Wanting more, it advanced on Sheik.  
  
"That sure did more harm than good!" Link said, pointing at Sephy's machine.  
  
Sheik fired the other three missiles, straight into the monsters mouth, then threw the launcher after it.  
  
"Link, distract it!" Sheik yelled in Link's direction.  
  
Link snapped out of his missile-induced trance, and concentrated his magic power on the Gunblade, waiting for the fish to be close enough to him.  
  
"Lionheart!" he yelled.  
  
After that, the Gunblade began to glow and Link started a frenzy of hits on the fish. Before recovering from the last, the next blow had already sliced through the scales covering its body. In the background, away from the action, Sheik pulled a little device from his pocket. When Link finished his escapade of slices and cuts, Sheik pushed the one button on the little black box: 'Remote Detonation'.  
  
The monster noticed a faint beep... Beep.. Beep. Beep Beepbeepbeepbeep coming from its insides.  
  
"Link, take cover!!" Sheik yelled.  
  
Link didn't have to be told twice. He ran for the closest hill in the landscape and ducked behind it.  
  
The next thing he noticed were fish entrails scattered over the entire lake.  
  
"That takes care of the source, now all that remains is the rest of the problem." 


	2. Chapter two

Tired from their battle with the giant Fastitocalon and with Navi resting in Link's arrow holder, Link and Sheik headed for 'home'. As neither Link nor Sheik really had 'homes', this would mean heading for Kokiri Forest. Whenever Link wanted to be alone, time to think or just some peace and quiet, he headed there. But when he and Sheik came closer to the Lost Woods, they heard a cry for help.   
  
"That sounded like a Kokiri! I've got to get over there!"   
  
"Wait, Link..." Sheik grabbed Link by the arm, "You've nearly lost all of your hearts. We should go to the nearest Fairy's Fountain and pick up a few fairies"   
  
"Yeah..." Link reluctantly admitted, "That would be a hole on top of the Lost Wood labyrinth. Let's get going, it sounded pretty urgent."   
  
After navigating their way through the maze that was the Lost Woods, they arrived at the labyrinth in front of the Meadow... To find it overflowing with the weirdest collection of foes they'd ever seen. The usual large spear-wielding guards were gone, as was the 'guy with the club' at the entrance to the Forest Temple. In his place was a large dinosaur-like creature. It had a red skin with pitch-black stripes running across it, short arms and from the look of its mouth, an enormous appetite. It seemed to be pretty strong as all the other monsters seemed to be avoiding it.   
  
"Well, monsters or not, we have to get to that fountain, and the ladder that leads up to that level is right next to that big guy on the other side."   
  
"You're right, Link, that would be a problem."   
  
"Well, at least we'll have the element of surprise, but that's about the only benefit I can see in this situation." Link noted with a grim look on his face.   
  
"I have some weapons that could use that one benefit to the fullest."   
  
Sheik pulled out some weapons from his backpack, until he found what he was looking for. He detached the blaster edge from his right arm, and took up the sniper rifle.   
  
"I'll be back in a sec." was all he said before disappearing into one of the narrow corridors that made up the maze. Perfectly timed, as just when Sheik went around the corner, a wendigo rounded the other one. It didn't see Link, who saw a clean chance to take at least this one monster out without the risk of losing his last few hearts. When the wendigo heard a sound, it turned toward the place where Link had been, just a few moments earlier. The wendigo didn't seem to understand what was happening, until it heard another cracking branch right behind it. When the wendigo turned to see who or what had made the sound, all it saw was a Deku nut being smashed right on its head. In the total confusion that followed, Link powered up his Magic Meter and released a roundabout slash on the foe, followed by some of his more impressive moves. Link rolled over the ground, rose up right in front of his foe and started slashing like wild. When de Deku Flash cleared, all that was left of the wendigo could be stored in a small treasure chest. The rest had been slashed away, evaporated or exploded.   
  
"What was that all about?" Navi asked   
  
"You really don't want to know"   
  
"Would I ask if I didn't want to know? I want to know what woke me up from that well deserved nap!"   
  
"Geez, since when did you have such a short temper?" Link inquired   
  
"Ever since you, or whatever it was, woke me up! Now I want to know what all that ruckus was all about! NOW!"   
  
"Ok, ok, relax!" Link tried to calm Navi, but it was pretty useless. "That was a monster I defeated. I only have three hearts left, and Sheik is getting some fairies to help me up. After that we're going to investigate the cry we heard. I won't be able to do any good until I've got a few more hearts."   
  
At that moment shots were heard, and Sheik barely avoided the big dinosaur's jaw. Sheik had managed to silently dispose of all the monsters he encountered, but their shouts had woken the interest of the large monster. It was now snapping it's jaws at anything that moved and its tail was a force to be reckoned with too. Sheik made his way to the hole in the ground with the monstrosity stamping everything in its path. It was closing in on Sheik at an incredible pace. Ten meters, eight meters, six meters, four... At that time Sheik jumped into the hole and the creature found itself biting air at the entrance to the underground cavern.   
  
"That was a little too close for comfort." Sheik said, heaving.   
  
Sheik was, although safe, pretty much in a tight situation. He knew he couldn't stay there, and the chances of the freak of nature going away anytime soon were slim to none.   
  
"Oh well, while I'm here, I might as well just collect the fairies"   
  
Sheik rummaged through his backpack to find what he was looking for. Four empty bottles, neatly tied together with a piece of rope.   
  
"Heeere fairy, fairy, fairy"   
  
And then all the fairies flew away to the furthest corner of the cave.   
  
"Aah, crap!" Sheik exclaimed in an angry tone. "They always do that to me! Guess I'll have to go hunting again"   
  
After a lot of trouble Sheik finally managed to capture the five fairies he needed: four in the bottles, one for himself, as Sheik was also injured pretty badly when making his way through the maze.   
  
"Now to find a way pas that giant freak-show... How should I do this?"   
  
He looked in his bag to see if there was anything he could use against such a big monster. He'd already flung all of his rockets, along with the launcher, at that giant fishy thingy.   
  
"Let's see that else we've got here... Nunchakus, no. Rifle, no. Whip, no. Gloves, no. Aha, this might come in handy!"   
  
He took the vegetable in his hand.   
  
"Hmm... 'Gysahl Greens - DANGEROUS.' I wonder what's so dangerous about this."   
  
With an uncertain glance to the monster he threw the green at it. The moment it made contact with it's nose, Sheik felt an unusual energy within himself, an energy that wanted nothing more than to come out. He felt a strange green glow grow around himself. At that moment he felt his own presence grow weaker, to be replaced by something gentle, yet very powerful. The moment sheik's presence was completely overcome by the new energy's, it burst out. The monster watched the light with an interested gaze. In the middle of the cave there suddenly was a cute little chicobo just sitting there. The great red monster looked puzzled. A puzzled look that was replaced by fear as the cute little chicobo started to power up. The fear came too late. By the time the monster realized what was going to happen to it, the fact had already happened. In just a few small seconds and a blaze that lit the entire maze, the monster was reduced to a pile of dust. The chocobo made a 'Warrk' sound and then returned to the nothingness it came from. Sheik's presence returned, and he felt the energy fade within himself.   
  
"Ookay, now I understand the 'WARNING' label."   
  
Sheik didn't waste any time and returned to the surface as fast as he could. He sprinted across the top of the maze to find Link waiting for him.   
  
"Sheik, what happened over there?" Link asked, pointing at the scorched soil by the hole in the ground.   
  
"One of Mr. Dincht's tools." He replied simply.   
  
"That was quite a blast, Sheik. Are you all right?"   
  
"I'm fine, Navi, Don't worry about it... Here you go, Link, four bottled fairies, I already let one heal me, so I'm fine."   
  
"All right!" Link stated "we should go investigate that cry. Let's hurry before we're too late."   
  
So they headed for Kokiri Village, but the silence around them was almost suffocating. No cries were heard. Nobody called for help. Just silence.   
  
"Do you think we're too late, Navi?" Link asked.   
  
"We might be... Let's hurry!"   
  
When they neared the settlement, Link took a startled step backwards as he saw the dark column of dark, black smoke rise up from the direction of the forest. And although it had started to rain, the fiery red glow on the horizon, against the twilight of the evening suggested there was a fire going, a BIG fire.   
  
Chapter 3 


End file.
